Consequences
by paperdoll yomi
Summary: Noodle centric Gorillaz fic, focusing on her non romantic relationship with 2D. Nothing that sexual, all though there is something that could be perceived as 2DMurdoc, kinda. Superlong. One shot. Rated for language.


Yes everyone, it's another Murdoc-beats-up-2D-and-Noodle-comforts-him-because-she-has-a-crush Gorillaz fiction but it's my first in a while, and I'd like you to read it so thankies x x

I know that the relationship between Murdoc and 2D as presented in interviews, videos, Gorilla Bitez and the like…is meant to be kind of…comically violent etc. But I felt like digging into the darker sides of their characters in this fiction. Not many laughs in it, unfortunately. But you can enjoy it maybe.

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Noodle skipped joyfully down the darkening hallways of Kong Studios, careful not to trip and fall with the empty glass she was carrying. She was on her way to the kitchen to get another soda. The fizzy drink was Noodle's new source of inspiration. All those bubbles went to her head and made her giggle at the delightful images which formed there as a result.

Noodle's happy bubble deflated a little as she passed the studio and heard raised voices coming from inside. Or more correctly, one voice raised in breaking anger and a second which was lower, reasoning with the first. Unfortunately, Noodle could surmise the situation inside the room without too much difficulty. Murdoc and 2D were arguing again. It was happening with more frequency recently, since 2D had grown so much more assertive. Yet his character was still not quite strong enough to withstand Murdoc's constant criticism and the bassist was still winning the fights time after time. The aforementioned scraps were less violent these days, though, much to Noodle's…

Then something smashed, feet stumbled, and there was a dull thud as a body hit a wall. Noodle knew without doubt whose it was- 2D was rarely physically inclined but Murdoc did not hesitate to use violence. She wavered in front of the door, deliberating over whether to go and get Russel or even to intervene herself, but she knew that would only cause shame on 2D's part and damaged pride on Murdoc's, and he'd be looking for another reason to kick the singer around again in the next couple of days.

She edged closer to the door, holding her breath. Broken snatches of the 'conversation' filtered through to her ears.

"You fuckin useless druggie. Good for nothin, sunnuva dirty, skanky bitch."

"Murdoc, I swear, I didn't do nuffink."

"Well if you didn't do nothin, dullard, you musta done somethin. It's what's known, by the more intelligent people of this world, as a double negative."

The girl blushed in embarrassment and anger. Murdoc often insulted 2D's intelligence but in such a condescending tone the verbal abuse sounded a hundred times worse. She heard a pleading whimper and the audible crack of a punch connecting, and decided it was enough. She quietly tiptoed away, back to her own room, and thoughtlessly left her empty soda can lying on the carpet.

Murdoc's fist halted in mid-strike, and his evilly mismatched eyes flickered towards the door. He'd heard a very faint noise outside. Leaving 2D cringing in a heap beneath him, he strode over to the studio's entrance and tugged open the door. There was nothing there except for an empty soda can, rolling this way and that on the floor. Murdoc frowned, but stopped short of picking it up. There was no way Noodle would be venturing around downstairs this late in the evening. She was generally tucked up in bed by around ten o'clock, for all she was verging on fourteen years of age. Murdoc shook his head. Maybe the obnoxious little brat had left it there earlier.

Nevertheless, he listened hard for the sound of small feet scampering away down the corridor before he looked back down at his pathetic prey, hunched up on the floor, and resumed his tormenting of 2D.

"Saw you lookin' at her earlier you know, dullard. Eyein' her up over the table at breakfast, you was. I mean, at _breakfast_, you pervert."

"What the fuck are you talkin' about Murdoc?"

"Noodle. Growin' up all of a sudden, int she, or hadn't you noticed?"

2D was intelligent enough to know what the other man was insinuating, and he didn't like it at all.

"Sh'rup, you dunno what yer talkin' about."

"Oh don't I?" Murdoc punctuated each word with a vicious kick.

2D shoved his boot away as it came down for a fourth strike. "Naw. Seems ter me you're the one noticin' it."

Murdoc growled, because he couldn't exactly deny that after bringing the topic up. To avoid further exploration into it, he reverted back to the original argument. He hated it when 2D got one up on him. It didn't happen often, but still he couldn't allow it.

"So dullard, are we clear on that? You never, ever, touch my instrument without my permission."

2D glared at him. "Don' see why n-"

Murdoc cruelly stamped on 2-D's unprotected fingers with a loud, audible crack.

"Ow! Shit, Murdoc, thas enuff."

"Evidently it's not, coz you're still answerin' me back, you little mongrel!" Murdoc slapped him across the face with a sickening smack.

2D rose furiously to push Murdoc away, and this time the recently acquired switchblade was clutched in his hand. For a second, Murdoc was thrown off his guard by the sight of the knife, but he saw 2D hesitate and took the only chance he had to disarm him. He gripped 2D's skinny wrist and twisted. The singer gasped at the sudden lance of pain as his fingers were disabled. Murdoc twisted the knife from his unresisting fingers, the ones he'd stepped on not a moment ago, and then threw 2D back down. Before the singer could even blink, the knifepoint was laid at the crutch of his jeans, in between his thighs and directly below his penis.

He moaned disbelievingly as Murdoc leered, bearing his rotten teeth, and flicked the blade a little closer. The bassist was elated. Now he had the little fucker cornered, and he was going to extract a groveling apology if it took all night.

"Now, unless you want to loose that pretty little sausage you've got for a dick, I suggest you apologize to me."

To his intense shame, 2D felt his eyes getting wet. He looked up into the older man's leering face with blurred vision, and knew that he'd had won. He was completely at Murdoc's mercy. 2D made a split second decision to spare himself yet more humiliation.

"Stop, Murdoc, please…" He gabbled, hardly intelligible. An imploring note crept uncalled for into his voice, but it didn't seem to satisfy Murdoc.

"Stop what, love? What'm I doin'? Don't ya like that?"

The knife pressed down harder. 2D's skinny hips squirmed in reaction, and his black eyes screwed shut.

"Please don't hurt me." He eeked out, knowing Murdoc wanted to hear him beg, but also genuinely scared.

"That's more like it, dullard. Now: you are never to put your filthy little fingers on my bass again, is that clear?"

2D whimpered at the touch of the cold, sharp metal between his thighs.

Murdoc hissed. "That question wasn't rhetorical."

The singer just looked blank, and this time not in defiance but confusion. Murdoc sighed at his hopeless stupidity.

"Meaning I want to hear you answer me, shit for brains."

He was stared at for another minute before he poked gently at the soft flesh underneath the denim with the knifepoint, galvanizing 2D with a gasp of pain.

"Don' Murdoc. I geddit it, allright, I unnerstand. I…m'sorry."

There, he'd said it. Not loudy enough for Murdoc, though. "Couldn't quite catch that last bit, Stuart, would you repeat it?"

"M'sorry, allright?" 2D spat out.

Murdoc grinned for a moment, savoring his victory. "Then everythin's right as rain between us, ent it?"

The singer muttered something incomprehensible, hollow eyes fixed on the floor.

Murdoc's hand shot down to grab his jaw and force it upward until their eyes were locked. "Ent it, Stuart?"

"Yeh, spose."

"Clever little boy, aren't you?"

The patronization got too much for him and he jerked his face away. Murdoc smiled and decided to end the prolonged torture on his terms.

"Thing is Two Dents, you may think you've grown up, but yer still too young and too stupid to realize that every foolish decision you make has a consequence."

He withdrew the flick knife before reaching down to ruffle 2D's soft hair. He yanked his head away. Murdoc simply smirked. He tucked the blade into the top of 2D's jeans and stood up.

"Don't suppose it would've made an awful lot of difference if you had lost yer balls." He threw the parting shot over his shoulder as he exited the room.

It was only when he'd gone, tugging the door closed behind him, that 2D stirred. Crawling onto his knees, he dry-retched in disgust. He sat back on his knees, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, and then realized there was a crimson wetness soaking though his thin tee shirt. He put a hand out to clutch his side. Blood had started to rise where the skin had been broken so many times. 2D felt strangely detached from the pain it caused, still shaking with helpless rage. He savagely tugged the knife out of his boxers and threw it across the floor.

"Fuck you Murdoc." He whispered.

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Much later, 2D sat in his own bedroom with his back to the wall, slouching with his knees drawn up, slightly apart, bare feet braced on the floor. His arms rested limply between his legs, fingers curled possessively around a half empty beer can. He upended the can and slurped beer to force his stomach to calm. The alcohol warmed him for a while, but the heat soon dissipated, and he was left shivering and stiff.

Although it was gradually numbing the aches that still remained from his earlier beating, he was made painfully aware of them every time he moved. He knew that a distinctly purple bruise was plainly visible on his jaw from looking at it earlier. Scowling, be brushed tapering fingers over it, wincing slightly, before muttering a string of obscenities.

Because, 2D thought, it wasn't as if he was even particularly scared of Murdoc anymore. On top of that, he knew that he had grown up during his time off. He was no longer like a child that could be bullied into anything. 2D did not always submit to Murdoc now, and deep down he knew that preyed on the older man's mind even if it did not show. So Murdoc's beatings had now taken a new direction: their purpose was no longer to make the bassist feel superior, but to put the singer back in his place.

And 2D allowed that because he still held a grudging respect for the bassist and aspired to him, even though he knew there was nothing remotely admirable about Murdoc any more. He was a lot cleverer than 2D that was for sure, and perhaps it was best that he dominated interviews and the like. But every aspect of life at Kong Studios…that was too much for a man like Murdoc to control. He was losing it, 2D was sure. What he'd said about Noodle, for example, was just proper bullshit. 2D had never…it was just too far- fetched, ridiculous even, that he would be attracted to a thirteen year old. Noodle, of all thirteen year olds. He wouldn't have thought Murdoc would've used the affection he had for her against him, in a million years, no matter how evil the Satanist could get.

It had only been about two months after the band's reunion when 2D's new-found resolve had crumbled in the face of Murdoc's solid determination to bully him. He had begun acting as the older man's personal slave and general doormat again. It had started with the old insults creeping back into the conversation, so subtly that 2D didn't notice them until it was too late and by that time Murdoc had moved on to the next level of throwing him around whenever he felt sufficiently angry.

There was no point in thinking about it anymore; it was just the same shit with different reasons motivating it, and besides, it happened much less these days. He knew he should be grateful for that, at least, and for another thing, the fights weren't quite as one-sided as before. Today's incident, for example, 2D had landed a few blind fists on Murdoc before being forced to submit when he was tripped up and stamped on repeatedly, not allowed to get up until he apologized for daring to hit back. 2D sighed and leant his head back against the wall. He felt a migraine coming on.

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The door leading to the studio was open onto the corridor, and as Noodle approached she knew the room was empty. Frowning, she took a look inside, but everything was in its correct place as it should have been. Her own guitar was exactly where she'd left it after practice that afternoon. Noodle was tempted to go in and strum away until her heart felt lighter in her chest, but she knew where she had to go. Silently, she turned and found her way to the elevator so she could progress down to the basement.

Moments later, she paused outside 2D's room, ear to the door, listening hard. All she heard at first was the ceaseless white noise of computers humming and occasional clicks and whirrs from the machines. Then they were interrupted momentarily by the sound of a stifled belch.

Noodle's round, young face peered around the door into the gloom of the bedroom. She could just about make out a hunched figure sitting against the wall by the box spring. She crossed over the door way and crept across the cluttered carpet softly, taking care not to tread on anything that might alert him to her presence, or indeed, cause injury to her feet. There were many connection wires waiting to trip her up. The various synths and keyboards strewn across his floor also barred her way. The spray painted walls shimmered slightly in the dark, and the computer monitors sparkled as well.

When she finally reached him, she touched him gently on the top of his rumpled hair.

"2D." she whispered.

He flinched, and looked up, his eyes bleary and unfocused. Then he saw her small frame outlined by the dull glow coming from beyond the door, now slightly ajar.

"Sshh. It's me, Noodle."

The sound of her voice calmed him a bit, and he closed his eyes again, letting his head fall back against the wall.

"All right Noodle-girl?" He acknowledged her finally. His voice was husky and he might have been crying for all she knew. Her heart melted.

"Since when…has it been…happening again?" She asked slowly and indirectly so as not to alarm him with the knowledge that she knew.

"What?" he asked her innocently. 2D had realized during his time off that he could use his unique ignorant innocence as a way of avoiding stuff he didn't want to face up to. People didn't expect that much of his intelligence, and so he didn't surprise them with the knowledge he was more perceptive than they guessed. It was easier for him that way.

"2D…I know that Murdoc has been…how can I say…" She trailed off, embarrassed for him.

He was quiet for a long time. Then, "Does Russel know?" He asked finally.

"No. I think…only me."

"You won't tell him, right? He'd go spare…"

"Of course not. But, 2D, this cannot go on."

"Yeh I know, Noodle." He hiccupped. "We's clear onthat. But th'only way it's ever gunna stop is if I leave."

"Iya!" she cried, falling down to put her arms around him, and then, more softly, "No. No, 2D, that must not happen either. If you left…the band would fall apart…and I would be very sad. That you left. I would miss you very much."

"You dun need to worry." He whispered. "I ent got the courage to jus get up an' leave. I fink about it sometimes, but ya know…the main fing that holds me back…" He went silent for a while.

"What holds you back?" She prompted him gently, pressing her face into his neck.

"I know I couldn't leave you. You're the only reason I'm still here, ya know that Noodle?"

No, she had not known that. It surprised her slightly, that 2D thought that much of her. But she supposed it made sense. Now Noodle felt even more responsible for the singer as she had done before.

"Can I sit with you?" she asked. "Or would you rather I went away?"

"Naw." He replied. "I'd like it if you stayed here."

She nestled in beside him, under his arm. They were silent for a while, and then Noodle felt she should at least try to make him feel better as well as being there for him.

"You know," she whispered, "You don't have to accept his authority…automatically how you are. You never have to accept it. You…" She winced at how clichéd she sounded, but went ahead anyway. "You can fight it. Stand up to him."

"I tried, right. Hones'ly I did. An'…an' it don't work. He don' respect me for it if that wuz what you wuz gunna say. He still treats me like shit. M'sick'uv it, but…"

He smiled bitterly. Whenever 2D smiled at Noodle, it was difficult to distinguish if he was really happy, or just amused by her. It occurred to her that the contrast between 2D's abject contentment and Murdoc's incessant misery wasn't that huge. But that wasn't clear to others. They thought the singer's constant state of drug induced happiness was for real.

"You know he envies you." She whispered to him. "You have everything he lacks."

"Except balls." 2D mumbled, almost resentful of her fortune-cookie comforting mechanism.

"Even…even balls." Noodle hesitated before speaking a word which was rude in her politically correct opinion, unaware of the irony implied by what Murdoc had done to 2D.

"Especially balls. They do not constitute for bravery."

"It's allright." He mumbled. "Shoulda expected it when I came back anyways. It wuz in-in…" He squinted one of his eyes in that way he had when trying to figure something difficult in his head, struggling with the word.

"Inevitable?" She provided softly.

He nodded. "Yeh, s'the one. Inevocable."

She had no answer to that. If 2D did not see it was better to resist than to knuckle under, and that servitude was a vicious circle, she could not show him the reality of things.

They sat there for a while in silence, and soon 2D fished around in his pockets and produced a lighter and cigarettes. It took a couple of sparks to light, and in the second the fire flared, Noodle could see 2D's eyes narrowed in concentration. Just by looking 2D in those mesmerizing eyes, people thought they had him all figured out. His sweet, vacant stare fooled many people into believing he was slower-witted than he actually was. Noodle knew 2D would never win any genius prizes but he was cleverer than many people gave him credit for. He'd surprised her once or twice when he'd casually dropped a musical fact she didn't know into one of their conversations. However, she thought she guessed at the deeper parts to his character accurately though. Only she knew the true extent of his shell-like fragility for example, or how hard he worked to satisfy Murdoc and keep tensions between the older men in the band to a minimum. Or how much resolve it took him to resist overdosing on painkillers when it all became too much for him. How Noodle adored 2D.

He noticed she was watching him and offered her the pack with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head daintily.

"Fought not." He mumbled, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"You smoke too much, 2D." she offered, as the acrid smell of tobacco rose to her sensitive nostrils.

"Mmnn." He evaded the issue skillfully.

Noodle had noticed how adept 2D was at dodging certain responsibilities. It didn't mean he'd get away with them, though. Through her access to Kong's main frame servers, Noodle was aware that 2D now had children of his own. He had yet to comply with the demands the Authorities had emailed him, concerning how he had to provide for them.

That didn't bother Noodle unduly because it was not her business. She had not found out intentionally, but had come across the message when trying to fix a bigger problem with the service provider. She had felt a little surprised at the threatening tone of the warning, but it was for 2D to sort out. That was her feeling on the matter because Noodle, although always compassionate to the last, felt a little bitter about it all. He'd betrayed her in a way, to not tell her about the matter of his own accord. She supposed he'd thought her young ears too inexperienced for that kind of conversation. That was hypocritical in a sense, taking other things he did into consideration. For example, he still swore in front of her- although he knew she objected. She put it down to him not knowing quite where he stood with her, for all she was his friend.

She knew he didn't mean to be offensive with his language. She knew that it was just the way 2D spoke. That and perhaps he overestimated her ability to deal with obscenity, surrounded by it as she was.

Ever since she'd regained her knowledge of the English language, she'd had to become accustomed to 2D's broken vernacular all over again. Similar to Murdoc's way of talking, but of course 2D was twice as unintelligible and had his own unique way of expressing himself. He sounded as if he had a permanently blocked nose with all his dropped constanants and gargled vowels. She supposed his accent was what people could denounce as common but Noodle knew that his singing voice was anything but that, and incredibly rare gift. He always sounded so much stronger when he was singing. When she was smaller, and feeling upset, he'd used to comfort her with his voice, and Noodle could have listened for hours.

"So what happened?" she questioned at last. "Can you tell me?"

"He, um…" 2D desperately wanted to spill his soul to Noodle, but he couldn't tell her everything that had happened. "I knocked over the bass, and he saw me, and he beat me up until I sed sorry to him."

Noodle's face crumpled into a determined frown. "So it was an accident. I should tell him who it is that should be apologizing."

His huge eyes, normally narrowed or squinted in some way, widened to their full roundness, "Noodle love, please don't. I 'ppreciate it an' all that, but you'd only be makin' it worse fer me."

Noodle promised she wouldn't, but her concerns for him were not alleviated. It looked like she'd have to take care of him tonight. She knew 2D was very vulnerable, and his spirit was not as strong as her own. Kong Studios had become a kind of metaphysical Gormenghast for him; full of pressure and pain and nothing in return.

He took another gulp from the can. She suddenly realized that his breath stunk of alcohol and that the drink was evidently not his first of the night. While he was distracted, she took the opportunity to prise the can of White Light out of his grip. It felt very light, and when she shook it in her hand, she could hear there was practically nothing left inside.

"2D, how many…"

"Remember when you firs came over here." He slurred, stumbling over his words. "An' it was always me sittin up wiv you when you felt homesick. I used'ta watch you go to sleep, an' I always wished I could be like you. All peaceful like that. Wished I could get out of all this," he gestured vaguely with his long fingers, "nightmare that I'm stuck in wiv my pills an' that. An' now its exac'ly th'same, 'cept it's you sittin' up wiv me, comfortin' me bout stuff you shouldn't have to. S'funny…" He trailed off.

She smiled at his childish gratitude, but couldn't help feeling slightly worried about how much he'd drunk. She shifted in anxiety, and felt something cylindrical roll under her foot. She picked it up curiously, and discovered a torch.

"You know, sitting here in the dark is bad for your eyes." She whispered to him.

"Ent got any."

Oops. Of course not. Noodle switched the harsh beam of light on, directed to her own face so it threw demon shadows on her features in the murky gloom.

2D snorted with laughter, and flashed her his irresistible crooked grin. Slowly, she turned the torch onto him, so she could surreptitiously check the extent of his injuries. Split lip, and faint discolouration on the cheek bone under his left eye. Not too bad for once. She didn't see the real damage that had been done, on his ribs and elsewhere.

She studied him further when his eyes were somewhere else (although it was of course hard to tell the exact direction 2D was looking at any time) and noticed, for the first time perhaps, just how attractive he was.

His visual uniqueness was startlingly beautiful, if a little sinister at times. Huge black irises eclipsed the whites of his red-rimmed eyes completely, like no one else's she'd ever seen. His flat, snubbed nose was almost like hers. His inviting mouth with the gaps of missing teeth. His messy hair looked even more disheveled than usual, the shocking blue colour less noticeable in the dim light. It didn't clash so strongly with his skin tone now, but the dull bruises on his pale yellow cheek matched the colour almost exactly.

The whole effect would have been eerie if he hadn't been quite so gorgeous otherwise.

Noodle remembered the incident at a live performance a couple of years ago which had changed her opinion of 2D forever. She had been relieving herself in the public toilets because Murdoc was monopolizing the band's for some Satanist ceremony. Then she had heard some older girls discussing 2D outside her stall. One had been describing to the others what his um…intimate regions had looked like, and how delicious he had tasted. Noodle had sat there through it all, and only when they had left did she feel the courage to wipe the angry tears from her cheeks and unlock her door. She had trotted out of there amiably enough and made her way back to the stage unnoticed, but she'd never been able to look at 2D quite the same way again. Which was just as well because they had all separated just a few months later.

Noodle wondered after the time what had made her so upset, and since she was older now, she didn't feel ashamed in admitting to herself that she was a little jealous of the poor girl. For knowing her 2D in a way she never could.

She realized that she was searching the shadows under his hair for the mark of the disgusting bite mark on his neck. A couple of years ago, if Noodle had noticed it, she might have inquired about his health and advised him to wrap up better in the cold. If she'd commented at all.

But now thirteen-year-old Noodle was on the cusp of adolescence, even if she'd not been paying the fact much attention until very recently. She no longer hid behind Russel in public, or let Murdoc take all the credit for superlative song writing, or played with 2D's hair in the middle of an interview when the endless cycle of them began to bore her.

And now she always took care to make sure she looked at least passable before she raced down the stairs for breakfast, with her hair brushed and shadow accentuating her features. If her band mates had noticed anything, they hadn't mentioned it, and Noodle was happy for things to remain that way. She did not wish to be growing up too fast.

The upshot of all this speculation was that Noodle was painfully aware that 2D was more than double her age. Almost as old as Russel even, in spite of his childish looks and nature. He had always seemed a lot closer to her age than her big American father figure. The way in which she loved 2D was purely platonic, she was sure, but sometimes, she wondered, had she been older…

But the young girl knew there was no point in pursuing that train of thought. Instead she must focus on comforting 2D as much as she could, because she did love him, and she felt deeply responsible for him in a way.

Yet he was different now. He'd changed. She supposed they all had, in their separate ways, but it was most noticeable with 2D. Even Murdoc had noticed, she was sure. He was less naïve, less ready to please, and he held himself differently somehow. Then there were the physical changes. There was a kind of artless grace to him as always, yet he seemed less awkward. His limbs were now laced together with some semblance of strength. The sharp new muscle which threaded his skinny arms, hard gaps of flesh, looked lean and tough under the skin.

She supposed they had been gained from working all day on the rides at his dad's funfair, spinning waltzer cars and halting dodgem cars. He'd obviously not been too deft with them to start off with, and Noodle now liked to trace the numerous scars he'd gotten with her fingers after he'd fallen asleep at the dinner table.

Her first experience of funfairs had been last summer, at one of Tokyo's various theme parks. Obviously they were built on a much grander, larger scale than any caravan park in the south of England, but she couldn't help wanting to see how 2D had spent the summer he had such fond memories of. Maybe if persuaded, he'd take her there one day.

Noodle knew 2D would wholeheartedly do pretty much anything for her. Except for maybe kill someone. It occurred to her that she was more than capable of doing that herself with her code-triggered martial arts abilities unleashed. All those years she couldn't remember, training tirelessly under a government programme, only then to be decommissioned, shut down like a robot. Noodle had used to act very childishly, her curiosity like that of an infant. Knowing something of her past had changed her into a much more serious minded girl, mature and wise beyond her years. Beyond 2D's years, maybe.

"Noodle, turn it off now, yeh? S'hurtin' my 'ead."

Of course. Noodle had been angling the torch about idly, forgetting it was still turned on, and the glow of the filament still spilled across the carpet. Not particularly dazzling to her, but sometimes she forgot how badly 2D's vision had been damaged by his accidents. Feeling a little ashamed, she switched the piercing light off.

In the absence of the torch, her gaze was drawn to a secondary source of light, 2D's alarm clock. The time read as twelve forty six. Noodle supposed she'd been thinking for longer than she'd realized. Not usually so introspective, she was surprised and a little anxious that she'd trespassed on 2D's territory for too long. She could see he was nearly asleep.

Noodle slowly raised his arm to free herself, tightening her fingers on it to tell him not to get up. Her limbs were crushed with cramp, and it took her a few stretches to shake off the numbness. Once she'd finished she walked over to 2D's bed and dragged his blanket from it and over to him, as it was evident he wouldn't be moving from his position by the wall tonight.

She covered him with it gently. "You can go to sleep now. I am going back upstairs."

He smiled slightly, exposing his mouthful of mutilated teeth. "Fanks for everyfin' Noodle."

"It's okay." She told him. "I want you to know that…however much he hurts you, I love you a hundred times as much. A thousand, a million…"

"Thas really sweet Noodle darlin'." His voice was now heavy with tiredness.

"It's true." She said, her expression inescapably sincere as she looked at him for the last time before leaving the room. She had no way of knowing whether he'd heard or not.

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Thanks for reading. Well done coz I know that was a lot all at once! Maybe I should have chaptered it. Anyway, hope you liked it, please review.


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